PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid, who will not play the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night, said Friday night he was angry at Philadelphia 76ers management for not allowing him to play in Washington on Wednesday.
He was out for Saturday’s game with “right oblique; injury management; (and) illness.” He has not played in both games of a back to back all season.
Embiid was ruled out Wednesday due to an illness. He replied to a reporter’s post on social media that listed him as out by saying that he planned to play. He later posted, “I guess they won’t let me play basketball.”
“I was pissed off. I wanted to play basketball,” Embiid said. “I wasn’t allowed to play basketball, so I think this is more of a question of Daryl Morey or whoever makes the decisions.”
Embiid scored 26 points in 34 minutes in a 76ers loss Monday in Miami. He was not listed on the injury report but told reporters that he was ill. “Physically, I just was not in it."
He said he had a short night’s sleep before Wednesday’s 153-131 win over the Wizards and wasn't at a morning film session, after which he was ruled out.
“I found out online that I wasn’t playing that night,” Embiid said. “That kind of caught me off guard.”
Embiid was listed as doubtful on Thursday’s injury report for Minnesota, but played 34 minutes, totaling 19 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists.
Sixers coach Nick Nurse said he wasn’t concerned with the situation, praising Embiid for his play Friday.
“We handle it by keeping things basketball-related,” Nurse said Saturday before facing the Pistons. “He was at shootaround yesterday; he was excellent in the game yesterday, was really a great teammate and focused and all that stuff yesterday. So we just try to keep it all basketball-focused.”
Embiid has played 37 games this season, sidelined primarily by injury management in his knees. He’s averaged 26.7 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game.
The 32-year-old center missed 13 games after straining his right oblique on Feb. 26 against Miami.
These two fellas, Miguel Vargas and Munetaka Murakami, have been driving the White Sox offense thus far. | (Photo by Matt Dirksen/Getty Images)
When one of the worst teams in the majors plays one of the best, it’s fair to expect that the mistakes will be made by the team that lost 102 games last year — not the one that was in the World Series.
Scratch that expectation.
For the second day in a row, it was the Blue Jays making the big mistakes and the White Sox taking advantage. Friday, it was emergency substitute catcher Tyler Heineman blowing a routine throw to first that would have ended the game in Toronto’s favor, and today it was … well, er uh … that same Tyler Heineman making a crucial baserunning mistake that kept Vladimir Guerrero Jr. from coming to the plate with two on and the Sox up 4-3 in the seventh. Then Heineman blew the game open with another terrible throw, trying to get Miguel Vargas out in a rundown that would have ended the eighth but instead extended the lead to three.
Not that the White Sox didn’t do good things without Toronto’s help. Grant Taylor had his second straight, nine-pitch, clean inning as an opener, after which a Lenyn Sosa single, Vargas double and Munetaka Murakami sac fly off bullpen-game opener Mason Fluharty gave the Sox a 1-0 lead. That 1-0 would hold up until the fifth, as bulk pitcher Anthony Kay kept the Jays off the board through his first four innings. The Sox went hitless for four innings against second-man-up Lazaro Estrada, while in the top of the fifth Guerrero hit a 431-foot blast to give the Jays a 2-1 lead.
But the White Sox came right back, as in the bottom half Vargas his his second double of the day off Brendon Little (who came into the game with an ERA of more than 18 and left with one 24-plus), and then Little decided the middle of the plate was a good a place as any to pitch Murakami.
Murakami’s blast was six feet shorter than Guerrero’s, so he’ll have to work on his homer swing.
The middle of the plate created such drama with Murakami that Little decided to try the same pitch to Colson Montgomery. Unlike the two big bruisers, Montgomery was only able to hit it 92.9 mph and 348 feet, but it was enough to clear the wall in right and put the Sox up, 4-3.
The insurance runs came in the eighth after Vargas walked and Austin Hays singled. With two outs, Luisangel Acuña hit an infield single, with Vargas getting caught in a rundown between third and home. To balance things out with his throw into right field yesterday, Heinneman threw the ball into left field this time. Two runs scored, to make it 6-3.
SAN FRANCISCO — Steph Curry swapped out a green-and-gold snapback for a navy blue Red Sox hat, changed from his baggy gray cargo pants into sweats and walked across the Warriors’ locker room to Kristaps Porzingis and dapped up the Latvian big man.
Then, he left the building.
Steph’s newest sidekick has yet to share the floor with him, but those handshakes should soon be taking place on the hardwood. The next time Curry enters Chase Center on gameday, the hope is that his street clothes aren’t the main attraction.
“Even from afar, I was always amazed. It was a nightmare to play him,” Porzingis said. “But he was one of those players, you can’t get mad because you look at it, and it’s like, ‘Wow. What can you do?’ Now, to actually be his teammate? That’s going to be pretty cool.”
Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors celebrates a basket shot by Jimmy Butler III Getty Images
Golden State’s 118-111 loss to the Cavaliers on Thursday is expected to be the last of a 27-game absence with a knee injury that has kept Curry sidelined since Jan. 30.
In that time, the Warriors have gone 9-18 and more or less locked themselves into the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference. They also acquired Porzingis, the kind of partner with the ideal combination of size and spacing to pair with the all-time 3-point king.
The 7-foot-3 center pulls from 30 feet as casually as Curry and provides a potentially lethal pick-and-roll partner. In two months since being acquired from the Hawks, Porzingis has gotten his own health problems under control, but he’s still only gotten to know Curry off the court.
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Considering the prospect of finally sharing the floor together, Porzingis could hardly contain his excitement in a brief interview at his locker with The California Post, shortly after his exchange with Curry.
“He draws so much attention. And not only does he draw the attention, with the attention already on him, he’s so effective and so good,” Porzingis raved. ”Like, he’s so good. One of the best players, like, ever. It’s unreal, the things he has done on a basketball court.”
Golden State Warriors center Kristaps Porzingis attempts a shot over Denver Nuggets guard Julian Strawther. Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
Curry, 38, participated in his second 5-on-5 scrimmage in three days before Thursday’s game, and coach Steve Kerr said, “He looks like Steph Curry.” He will be reevaluated this weekend, and the Warriors have not set anything in stone, but word that Curry was targeting Sunday’s home game against the Rockets for his return had clearly made it around the locker room.
There’s been a noticeable shift in the mood around the team from the doldrums that dominated following the losses of Curry and Jimmy Butler. They can see light on the horizon.
“He brings hope to a tough situation,” Kerr said. “When Steph’s around, the vibe tends to be better, and it’s definitely better right now.”
While the Warriors have five games remaining starting Sunday, Kerr will likely have four at most to determine how best to deploy Curry, Porzingis and potentially Al Horford, too, before attempting to make a playoff run from the bottom seed in the play-in.
Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors celebrates after a three point shot. Getty Images
In addition to an expected minutes restriction as he returns to game action, Curry will likely sit one half of their last remaining back-to-back, next week against the Lakers and Kings.
“Hopefully we can develop a semblance of a rotation and figure out exactly who we want to play with whom and that sort of thing,” Kerr said Wednesday. “We do have a season full of information that will help us with that, but with Kristaps’ arrival, Steph hasn’t played with him. So we would have to decide, are we starting Kristaps? Are we starting Al? How much can we play Kristaps and Al together? Where does Draymond fit in that group? Which one is he better with? Those are the type of things that we’re thinking about, along with the backcourt rotation.”
Horford, 39, is still recovering from a calf strain that has cost him the past 11 games. Porzingis, for his part, told the Post that he is “getting there, but I still have a good ways to go” in regards to his health and conditioning and has “levels” he hasn’t reached yet.
Health troubles have prevented Curry from sharing the court with another teammate: His brother. Seth Curry is also trending in the right direction after a bout with sciatica.
“I know that’s one of his motivating factors for getting out there, to get us out there on the court together,” Seth Curry said. “I want to get out there with him at least one time and experience that.”
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry reacts after getting fouled while scoring. Robert Sabo for NY Post
The only person yearning for Curry’s return more than his teammates is probably Steph himself. Despite no structural damage, the absence has drawn on longer than all but two others in his 17-year career. The “unpredictable” nature of the injury — runner’s knee, which can flare up if not given the proper rest — has resulted in a few false starts.
But his knee reacted positively enough to his return to practice earlier this week that Curry wanted to go public. Fans were treated to his famous pregame warm-up, in full, before the Warriors hosted the Spurs on Wednesday.
Kerr said he believed the decision was “purposeful.”
“Instead of shooting downstairs, I think he wants to feel the crowd. And show the crowd that he wants to come back,” Kerr said. “So that’s the hope.”
DENVER — In his first start of the season last Sunday, Jesús Luzardo’s outing was hard to evaluate.
On the surface, it looked like he got hit around for six full innings. He allowed six earned runs over six innings. Dig a little deeper, though, and there were positives.
The first two frames were dominant. He gutted through six innings. He generated swings and misses. But when he took the mound Saturday against the Rockies, there was a lot more to like as the left-hander bounced back in the Phillies’ 2-1 win.
His final line? A dominant six and two-thirds innings, five hits, one earned run, no walks and 11 strikeouts under the lights at Coors Field.
Here’s what stood out.
LIMIT THE DAMAGE
Any time you pitch in Colorado, keeping the ball in the yard is easier said than done.
In his last outing, Luzardo got burned on two mistakes. He allowed a two-run homer to Brandon Nimmo and then a three-run shot to Andrew McCutchen. No matter how good parts of the outing looked, it’s hard to win when you give up the long ball.
Saturday, the Rockies rolled out an almost all-right-handed lineup. Luzardo didn’t flinch.
Keeping the ball in the yard was one of the biggest reasons he was so effective last year, when he allowed the fifth-fewest homers among left-handed starters with at least 30 starts.
After his last outing, in which he allowed six hard-hit balls out of 17 in play and an average exit velocity of 89.6 mph, Luzardo limited just about all loud contact. Of the 13 balls the Rockies put in play, only two were hard-hit (95-plus mph exit velocity), and both were outs.
Their average exit velocity against him was just 79.5 mph.
That was the biggest difference for Luzardo too.
“I felt good, just like last time,” he said. “I did a better job of limiting hard contact, keeping the ball in the field.”
LOTS OF SPIN?
That’s what made this outing even more interesting.
At Coors Field, with the altitude, pitch shape can flatten out in a hurry. Luzardo still found a way to make the ball move a great deal.
“They talk about how the stuff goes down here because of the altitude,” Thomson said. “It didn’t look like it to me. It’s as good as stuff as you’re gonna see.”
His sweeper averaged a whopping 2,389 rpm. That was up 126 spins from his last outing. The pitch also averaged 86.8 mph, more than a mile per hour harder than it came out in his first start. That jump helps explain why Rockies hitters looked off-balance all night.
His four-seam fastball saw a similar uptick, checking in at 2,282 rpm, also above where it sat in his last outing. Against the Rangers, Luzardo struggled to generate swing-and-miss with the fastball. On Saturday, he nearly doubled last season’s whiff rate on the pitch. It also played up to 98.2 mph.
The whole mix was sharper. More life and more chase. Colorado never looked comfortable against it.
EARLY AND OFTEN
When you’re missing bats the way Luzardo was on Saturday, getting ahead early can turn a good start into a dominant one.
That’s exactly what happened.
He started 64 percent of hitters with a first-pitch strike. On its own, that’s not a crazy number. His season average in 2025 was 67.4 percent. But compared to his first outing this year, it was a massive jump.
Last Sunday against Texas, that number sat at 44 percent.
That difference played a huge factor. It led directly into his 73 percent strike rate Saturday and helped him stay in control of at-bats all night. Luzardo was not pitching from behind nearly as often, and the Rockies never got many free looks at fastball counts.
Most importantly, Luzardo did not allow a single free pass.
He noticed the difference immediately.
“I got ahead a little bit better,” Luzardo said, “and put guys away later on.”
SLIDER NOT REINTRODUCED
Oddly enough, a number of Luzardo’s sweepers were read as sliders because of the lesser horizontal movement.
It’s not a pitch you saw at all from Luzardo last year, especially after he introduced the sweeper in his first season with the Phillies while working with pitching coach Caleb Cotham.
Of the nine sweepers that did appear as sliders, Rockies hitters offered at the pitch five times and whiffed on four of them. His overall whiff rate was already up in his first start, but Saturday’s outing pushed it to 40 percent. Last year, his overall whiff rate was 30.8 percent.
Luzardo made clear afterward that nothing new was actually added. It was still the sweeper.
“The sweeper, I know, picked up a lot of sliders, but it was all sweeper,” he said. “It is what it is.”
What stood out more to him was the changeup, which he felt had already started trending in the right direction in spring.
“The changeup, we knew, would be a weapon in spring,” Luzardo said. “Maybe not this much of a weapon, but it has been feeling really good. So I’m happy to have it in my back pocket as well.”
THE DEFENSE
To begin the season, the Phillies’ defense behind their pitchers has been shaky. They came into Saturday tied for the second-lowest mark in defensive runs saved at minus-7.
On this night, though, they flashed the leather.
In the first inning, it started with J.T. Realmuto’s arm. The veteran catcher threw out Ezequiel Tovar trying to steal second to end the frame.
In the bottom of the sixth, Trea Turner made a gorgeous sliding play behind second base, spun and threw out the speedy Tyler Freeman. It was one of those Turner plays that looks smoother than it should.
Luzardo also got help from Bryson Stott, Justin Crawford and Adolis García, who came charging in to record the final out of his dominant night.
There was certainly more to like on Saturday, and Luzardo looked much more like the version of him the Phillies expect.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - NOVEMBER 09: Jalen Duren #0 of the Detroit Pistons celebrates a dunk by Cade Cunningham #2 (not pictured) against Andre Drummond #1 of the Philadelphia 76ers during the second half at Xfinity Mobile Arena on November 09, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Detroit Pistons return to action tonight against a Philadelphia 76ers team that was kind enough to dispatch the Minnesota Timberwolves in their previous game, and with the added benefit of that game being Friday, and thus facing the East’s top team on the second half of a back-to-back. That means the Sixers will be playing without Joel Embiid, who has played pretty well in his four games since a long absence to injury. The Sixers will have both Paul George and Tyrese Maxey, however.
None of those players was available the last time these two teams faced off, a 131-109 Pistons blowout in which the Sixers were so bereft of big men that they trotted out Dominick Barlow as a starting center. Jalen Duren played only 14 minutes in that game but scored 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds. The Sixers have a bit more size suiting up tonight, including former Piston Andre Drummond, but Duren’s game also seems to have hit another gear lately. We will see what Duren, who played high school ball in Philly and grew up 45 minutes away in New Castle, Delaware, has in store for his return to his “hometown” team.
Game Vitals
When: 7 p.m. ET Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Watch: Detroit TV20, FanDuel Sports Network Detroit Odds: Pistons -3.5
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - APRIL 03: Ketel Marte #4 of the Arizona Diamondbacks celebrates after hitting a single during the sixth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Chase Field on April 03, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Braves try to make it (gasp!) four in a row, and three in a row against the Diamondbacks, as Bryce Elder and Michael Soroka square off in the desert.
PHOENIX, AZ - MARCH 30: A general view of the exterior of Chase field is seen prior to the game between the Detroit Tigers and the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday, March 30, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Today’s Lineups
BRAVES
DIAMONDBACKS
Ronald Acuna – RF
Ketel Marte – 2B
Drake Baldwin – C
Corbin Carroll – RF
Matt Olson – 1B
Geraldo Perdomo – SS
Austin Riley – 3B
Gabriel Moreno – C
Mike Yastrzemski – LF
Adrian Del Castillo – DH
Ozzie Albies – 2B
Nolan Arenado – 3B
Michael Harris – CF
Jose Fernandez – 1B
Dominic Smith – DH
Alek Thomas – CF
Mauricio Dubon – SS
Jorge Barrosa – LF
Bryce Elder – RHP
Michael Soroka – RHP
A slightly unusual start time for a Saturday, rather than the typical 5:10 pm. That’s because today’s game is a Fox Sports national broadcast, so we must all bow to their commercial demands. More irritatingly, that means that, a mere eight games in, this will be the fourth different subscription-based service you need to have in order to watch the Diamondbacks. In addition to dbacks.tv, we have already had Netflix on Opening Day, and Apple TV last night. I know you’ll need to add Peacock to the list in June. I will not be engaging with this nonsense, and so will be following this game purely on Gameday, if at all.
After Eduardo Rodriguez proved his first start was no fluke, with an even better one last night, we turn to Michael Soroka to see if he can reproduce his sterling debut as a Diamondback. Right now, he has a FIP of -0.22. Yes: that’s a negative figure. It’s possible because FIP just goes off things like K-rate and BB-rate. Soroka fanned ten batters in only five innings last time on the mound, while walking one. The joys of small sample sizes. It’d be nice if he could keep anything in that solar-system up, though right now, I’m more concerned about the offense. The D-backs now have a collective OPS of a mere .648. Carroll is our only active player with 10+ PA and an OPS+ above a hundred.
To this end, things have been shaken up a bit this afternoon. Jose Fernandez replaces the woeful Carlos Santana at first, and Adrian Del Castillo makes his first start as the designated hitter. Santana’s .043 average is the lowest for any D-back through ten games (25 PA or more). The previous worst was Geraldo Perdomo’s 1-for-20 start in 2022, and he at least had the ability to draw seven walks. Santana’s much-praised plate discipline hasn’t really been seen, with just two walks and eight strikeouts. I know Torey doesn’t want to pull the plug hastily, but Santana has been such a black-hole on offense, he could be a literal black-hole on defense and he’d still be of questionable value.
Apr 3, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) singles during the eighth inning against the Miami Marlins at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
As far as regular-season games go, this one is as big as it’s gotten so far for Ryan Weathers, personally. The newest member of the Yankee rotation will pitch for the first time in front of his new home crowd and will do so against none other than his former team, the Miami Marlins. This is not your traditional successful big leaguer who inevitably gets moved to a contender, as he doesn’t fit the timeline of his current team. Sure, the Marlins got younger by flipping Weathers to the Yankees, but they also had plenty of time to develop him into a more established starter and then trade him for a better package. He’ll face his former teammates with something to prove, looking to justify the trust the contending Yankees placed in him.
If all of that wasn’t enough, Weathers faces the pressure of maintaining this outstanding run of form that Yankee starters have showcased to begin the year. Through the first seven games of the year, Yankee starters have an ERA below 1.00—Cam Schlittler is validating all the exciting takes he generated after his first year, Max Fried is being his usual outstanding self, and Will Warren has delivered two productive starts. Out of these four, Weathers was the most unpredictable commodity, and if he can hold his own, this rotation will be in a terrific spot, only getting better as the season goes on and more veteran reinforcements arrive
A bit of interesting information about this game and one that ties into last night’s performance: Historically, Giancarlo Stanton hasn’t fared particularly well against his former team, in what’s obviously not that large of a sample size. Stanton has a .391 SLG in 79 PA against the Fish. Amidst the offensive outburst of an 8-2 win on Friday, Stanton was the only Yankee hitter not to reach base safely.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 01: Mason Miller #22 of the San Diego Padres pitches against the San Francisco Giants during the eighth inning at Petco Park on April 01, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Padres fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
They have only seen it twice this season, but according to this week’s Padres Reacts Survey on Gaslamp Ball, San Diego Padres fans would not be opposed to seeing Mason Miller and his new bullpen entrance more often.
The problem to this point in the year after the first six games over two series at Petco Park is that there have only been a couple of chances for Miller to job from the bullpen to the mound. Of course, there was at least one other opportunity where many Padres fans thought Miller should have been coming into the game, but San Diego manager Craig Stammen said he and pitching coach Ruben Niebla decided before the start of the game that Miller would not throw more than an inning in a save situation. Stammen cited the early time of year as the reason the right-handed flame thrower was unavailable.
With the team on the road, there is no chance Miller will be accompanied by his entrance music, “Blind” by Korn should he come into a game over the next two series. The Padres dropped the first game of their series against the Boston Red Sox but will look to get on a winning streak as San Diego completes the series in Boston and moves on to Pittsburgh to face the Pirates before returning home to face the Colorado Rockies, April 9.
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Logan Henderson (43) talks with catcher Gary Sanchez during spring training workouts Sunday, February 15, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona. | Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Let’s play two! After the Brewers won what was ultimately a tense game in the first leg of today’s doubleheader, they’ll take on the Royals a second time after a couple hours off for, presumably, pancakes.
Tonight’s pitching matchup was originally scheduled as Milwaukee’s Brandon Sproat versus Kansas City’s Seth Lugo, a 2024 All-Star. But a surprise was announced before the second game of the doubleheader: tonight’s 27th man, Logan Henderson, will start the game, with Sproat following out of the bullpen.
Henderson will function more as an opener than a “bulk” guy today, as he’s still working his pitch count up after he was put slightly behind schedule during spring training by what was called “mild elbow discomfort.” While anything elbow-related is concerning, Henderson did start on Tuesday for Triple-A Nashville. In that game, he threw 45 pitches on his way to three sharp innings: no runs, one hit, one walk, five strikeouts. Henderson, of course, made five excellent starts for the Brewers in 2025 (a 1.78 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 25 1/3 innings) but spent most of last season in Nashville before a flexor strain prematurely ended his season. This will be Henderson’s sixth career appearance and start, but don’t expect him to throw more than 50-60 pitches.
Sproat was knocked around by the White Sox last Sunday in what was his fifth career start and first as a Brewer. He allowed seven runs on six hits, three of them homers, in just three innings, and Chicago looked almost like they knew what was coming. But if that rattled Sproat’s confidence in himself, his confidence in his teammates should be sky high: while Sproat left the game in a 7-2 hole, the Brewers’ offense scored seven runs late, six of them in the eighth inning, and came from behind for a 9-7 win.
Lugo has made one start this season, and it was quite a good one. Also last Sunday, Lugo blanked the Braves for 6 1/3 innings, in which he scattered five hits and didn’t walk anyone. Lugo isn’t a young man anymore at age 36, but he had his best season just two years ago when he had a 3.00 ERA in over 200 innings and finished second in Cy Young voting. Last season, Lugo was 8-7 with a 4.15 ERA — basically exactly league-average — but a concerning 5.09 FIP. He’s not a big strikeout pitcher, but generally does well keeping runners off base.
Lugo is right-handed, but the Brewers are rotating some players into the lineup for the night game. Gary Sánchez will be behind the plate, Blake Perkins takes over for Brandon Lockridge in left field, and Joey Ortiz is in at shortstop, with David Hamilton moving over to third and Luis Rengifo to the bench. Christian Yelich will remain the designated hitter for game two. Jonathan India and Carter Jensen are in the lineup for game two, with Salvador Perez moving from behind the plate to DH. Nick Loftin and Starling Marte (who is definitely on the Royals), who started this afternoon, are on the bench.
Aaron Ashby, Abner Uribe, and Trevor Megill all pitched in the early game, so if there’s a save situation in game two, somebody who isn’t necessarily used to saving games will be out there. Ángel Zerpa and Jared Koenig are both available as lefties, but if the Brewers like a right-handed matchup better in the ninth inning, that basically just leaves Grant Anderson. Jake Woodford and DL Hall are also presumably available out of the bullpen. Speaking of bullpens, the Royals’ 27th man tonight will be righty reliever Eli Morgan.
First pitch for the nightcap is at 6:10 p.m., and the game can be seen on Brewers TV.
Logan Henderson has been selected as the 27th man for tonight's game AND will make his season debut as SP
The Los Angeles Kingshave signed another prospect, the team announced Saturday. Los Angeles officially signs Henry Brzustewicz to a three-year entry-level contract deal worth $1 million, according to PuckPedia, and will report to the AHL's Ontario Reign on a PTO deal for the rest of the 2025-26 season.
Brzustewicz was drafted by the Kings in the first round and 31st overall in the 2025 NHL draft.
Following his breakout season with the London Knights, Los Angeles decides to sign him to a three-year entry deal after his season with the Knights comes to an end, following elimination from the playoffs.
We have signed D Henry Brzustewicz to a three-year entry level contract through the 2028-29 season.
Brzustewicz will report to the @OntarioReign on a PTO for the remainder of the 2025-26 season.
The defenseman had a great season for the London Knights, recording 19 goals, 35 assists, and 54 points in 59 games. In his fifth season with the London Knights, this is not only the best set of numbers he has ever put up in the OHL, but he's also tied for third in the OHL in goals this season.
Most importantly for the Kings and Reign, Brzustewicz is a winner, most recently winning back-to-back J. Ross Roberston Cups with the London Knights (2024, 2025) and the 2025 Memorial Cup.
The Ontario Reign currently leads the Pacific Division with a record of 42-19-3 and 89 points. The 19-year-old will play a big role in the Reign's quest for a Calder Cup. With the playoffs coming up, Brzustewicz's skills will surely live up to what has been an excellent season up to this point.
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Apr 2, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) falls to the court during a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the third quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Luka’s injury alone was going to cause widespread ripple effects for the Lakers. Add Austin to the mix and everything is disrupted.
Austin is set to miss 4-6 weeks, which covers the whole first round and part of a second round series, if somehow that happens. The typical recovery time for a Grade 2 hamstring strain would rule Luka out for the first round and, similarly, jeopardize his availability for a second round series.
Those timelines feel like a formality now, though. Austin and Luka are out for the first round of the playoffs and, barring a miracle, the Lakers will be, too.
Where does that leave the purple and gold, then, moving forward, both in the short and long term?
Playoff seeding
The Lakers have five games remaining in the regular season and are not locked into a playoff seed yet. While it went under the radar last week, LA did clinch a playoff spot, meaning the play-in is out of the question.
The standings are still tight, however, with LA one game up on Denver and two games up on Houston in the fourth and fifth spots, respectively. Minnesota has taken a nosedive and is four games back of the Lakers in the sixth seed, so there is a floor for LA to fall.
The Lakers also don’t have a particularly daunting schedule, sans another meeting with Oklahoma City on Tuesday. They will play at Dallas on Sunday, the Thunder on Tuesday, at Golden State on Thursday, at home against Phoenix on Friday and at home against Utah to wrap up the season.
Having said all that, making matters worse on Saturday was Denver beating the Spurs at home, pulling them closer to the Lakers. They will still play San Antonio and Oklahoma City one more time each in its final four games.
As for Houston, they play at Golden State and Phoenix before hosting the Sixers, Wolves and Grizzlies to end the season. While they’ve won five games in a row, the only win against a non-tanking team in that span was the Knicks.
It feels likely that the floor for the Lakers will be the fifth seed, though there is a worst-case scenario of LA going winless and Minnesota going undefeated, dropping them all the way to sixth.
MIAMI, FLORIDA – MARCH 19: Austin Reaves #15 and LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers speak during the fourth quarter against the Miami Heat at Kaseya Center on March 19, 2026 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Postseason match-up
Remember the 2013 playoffs? I wouldn’t blame you if you memory-holed that series against the Spurs in which the Lakers lost player after player after player.
In the fourth and final game of that matchup, LA started Darius Morris and Andrew Goudelock in the backcourt with Earl Clark at small forward. Chris Duhon played 43 minutes off the bench.
The playoffs this year are going to resemble that a little too closely.
LA still has talented players available, but this team is going to be so drastically different from the one in the regular season that it’s going to be hard to win a game. LeBron is going to have to go from third fiddle to carrying the offense again, something he may not even be able to do at 41.
A whole lot of role players who had spent months learning how to play alongside Luka now are going to have drastically different roles. Players who probably shouldn’t be relied upon for offense are going to need to score to even be competitive.
In that sense, it feels irrelevant who they play in the first round now because of how outmatched they’re going to be. Success for this team is going to look more like being competitive and maybe stealing a win, which is a damn shame considering where this team was even at the start of the week.
Offseason plans
The summer is going to be full of decisions for the Lakers and they’re now going to have to make them without seeing the best version of this team in the playoffs.
In fact, with the injuries they dealt with during the season, the sample size of the recent, idealized version of the Lakers is about a dozen games. It was a really good dozen games, but it was also a dozen games that ended in a dismantling by the Thunder.
The playoffs were supposed to serve as the big stress test for the team to learn if this really worked, particularly against the top teams, and where they needed changes. We’re not even going to get a glimpse of that now with so many players likely being slotted into unfamiliar roles in the postseason.
Instead, the front office will have to make decisions this summer with an incomplete data set.
Is it worth bringing LeBron back this summer or is it time to rip off the band-aid? Do they need another center this summer? Two new centers? How do some of the Lakers’ role players set for free agency hold up in the playoffs alongside Luka like Rui Hachimura or Luke Kennard?
These are all questions this front office won’t have fully satisfactory answers on, which is what makes this injury such a gut punch.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - MARCH 30: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs looks on during the game against the Chicago Bulls on March 30, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The San Antonio Spurs came up short in one of their final tests of the regular season, ending their win streak at 11. The Nuggets are battle-tested, deploying the top offense in the NBA, and they were the better team in the crucible.
Nikola Jokić feasted in the lane, but the Spurs couldn’t be stopped from getting there, either. It also helped that they kept their groove going in most of the non-Victor Wembanyama minutes, and the Nuggets weren’t as strong with Jokić resting. Still, it was a close game that required overtime, and the difference was the Spurs losing control and going cold after Jokić checked in for the last time.
Observations
This is as good as it gets to a playoff appetizer. Thirteen 3-pointers came in the first quarter as both teams showed high-level horsepower and the level of physicality increased as the game went on. The stakes were high for both teams as the Spurs had a chance of catching the first seed, and the Nuggets are trying to maintain home-court advantage in round one of the playoffs.
The Nuggets had the Spurs on the ropes in the third quarter, and they survived thanks to Julian Champagnie, Wembanyama and Stephon Castle putting the offense on their shoulders. The three of them combined for seven baskets in that span, yet the Nuggets went on a big run late in the period with them on the bench, cutting the Spurs’ lead to four going into the fourth quarter. The Spurs took advantage of the non-Jokić minutes, but the script flipped, and they were put in too many scrambles.
Nikola Jokić is the best player in the world, and making him work on defense is a necessity because he doesn’t want to guard anybody. The Nuggets tried to hide him on the smaller players, but the Spurs did a good job of going at him.
Wembanyama and Castle each had two fouls in the first quarter, but they didn’t let that affect their aggression and they continued charging into the paint. Wembanyama’s activity generated 11 of his 17 free throw attempts in the first half. On top of that, his presence was a big reason why the Nuggets struggled to score in the lane. Still, Jokić outplayed him in crunch time.
Christian Braun was the guy the Spurs left open to clog the lane, and he made five 3-pointers. Despite the production, he was the right player for the Spurs to try that against because he’s been awful on open and wide-open attempts this year.
Jokić took an accidental smack to the face by Wembanyama in the first quarter, and then took a shot to the upper chest by Keldon Johnson late in the second. He usually comes out like a madman after getting battered and bruised, and he finished with 40 points on 52 percent shooting.
The Spurs have been almost unbeatable when they score at least 70 points in the first half. After this loss, their record drops to 15-3.
De’Aaron Fox had five baskets in the fourth quarter, but he made a huge mistake, causing a four-point play by lunging at a shooter, which cut the team’s lead to two points late in the game. He also missed some critical shots in overtime.
Saturday afternoon was the tale of two opposite storylines: the beginning of what could be a promising career, and the potential end of a legendary career.
Gabe Perreault and Jonathan Quick are at two opposite ends of their respective careers.
In the New York Rangers’ 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday afternoon, Perreault recorded his first NHL hat trick, while Quick may have played in his last NHL game.
From where Perreault was at when he entered rookie camp in September to this point in April marks a true transformation.
The 20-year-old forward didn’t make the Rangers’ opening night roster out of training camp and even when he was called up from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League in November, he only played in three NHL games before he was sent back down to the AHL.
Mike Sullivan emphasized that the game moved too fast for Perreault, who was initially struggling to make the jump from the AHL to the NHL.
“As a young player, it's just physical maturity,” Sullivan said of Perreault in November. “The speed of the game and the size and the strength of the players at this level is second to none. For most young players, that's one of the challenges in making the jump to being an impact player at this level.”
In December, Perreault was recalled by the Blueshirts, and he never looked back.
The 2023 first-round pick showed offensive poise and readiness to play in the NHL that he was unable to display in his previous call-up.
Since rejoining the Rangers in December, Perreault has steadily gained Sullivan’s trust, earning himself a consistent top-six role and time on the power play.
In his rookie campaign for the Rangers, Perreault’s natural offensive instincts have risen to the forefront, as the game continues to slow down for him.
“When you look at Gabe's growth here over the course of the season, I think he's picked up a couple of steps just in his quickness, not only that, but how quickly he thinks the game,” Sullivan said. “It's one of the biggest hurdles. I think young players, all young players, regardless of what their strengths are as players, is just the speed of the game, the physical speed, the foot speed itself, but also how fast you have to think the game.
“The windows of opportunity open and close way quicker in this league than any in the world. That's what separates the NHL from the rest. I think the game is slowing down in his mind. And obviously his hockey IQ is probably his greatest attribute… With his vision, and his brain, and his stick skills, he's finding ways to have success in those areas in that environment. That's the experiential learning that's so critical. It's essential to the young players' growth. I just think with each game that he plays, he's getting better and better in all those areas.”
Perreault is also learning how to be in the right places at the right times. On Saturday afternoon, Perreault’s first goal game when Mika Zibanejad found him the puck at the low bumper, and his second goal came when Jonny Brodzinski fed him the puck while streaking to the net on a two-on-one chance.
Sullivan gave Perreault an opportunity to complete the hat trick with an empty net in the late stages of the contest, and J.T. Miller made a conscious effort to pass Perreault the puck in order to achieve this great feat.
“Thrilled,” Sullivan said of how happy he is for Perreault. “You can see the reaction on the bench. Everybody was rooting for him. He's an easy guy to root for. He's a great kid. He works hard. The fact that J.T. was working hard for him to try to get the hat trick was awesome. I just think it speaks volumes for the type of people that we have.”
Perreault underplayed his hat trick after the game, but acknowledged that the accomplishment holds significance for him.
“It means a lot.” Perreault said of his hat trick. “My teammates made a couple of nice plays, so I had a couple of easy ones (goals) today. It definitely feels good to get the hat trick, but most importantly, get the win.”
On the other side of the coin, Quick is at a different stage of his career.
The 40-year-old’s future with the Rangers and more importantly, his future in the NHL appears to be murky.
It’s unclear if Quick will retire following the completion of the 2025-26 campaign, but his one-year, $1.55 million contract is set to expire on July 1, which raises questions regarding his plans past this season.
Despite not giving any indication of his future, it was hard not to have the thought that he could be making the last start of his NHL career.
Coming off of a seven-game absence from an upper-body injury, Quick came back strong on Saturday afternoon, making 31 saves on 32 shots and helping propel the Rangers to a victory over a Red Wings team still fighting for a playoff spot.
The veteran goalie didn’t delve into much detail about his future plans when speaking with the media postgame, and he was noncommittal on the topic of retirement.
“We got six games left, five games left, something like that. I just want to enjoy the ride the rest of the way these last five, six games and figure that out when it’s time,” Quick said about if he’s thought about the big picture whether this could be his last season.”
It takes a lot for someone to transition from being one of the premier goaltenders in the NHL to being a backup. That’s exactly what Quick has been able to do, creating a new chapter in an illustrious career.
Winning two Stanley Cups with the Los Angeles Kings as the starting goaltender, Quick adapted to a backup role in 2023 with the Vegas Golden Knights en route to winning his third Stanley Cup.
Since then, Quick has formed the perfect tandem in New York with Igor Shesterkin, stepping in for Shesterkin when needed while providing a critical veteran presence in the locker room.
“I believe he's a first ballot Hall of Famer. When you look at his body of work in the league, he's a multiple time Stanley Cup champion,” Sullivan said of Quick. “I think what he means internally to our organization, I think maybe flies under the radar. I think his teammates have so much respect for him, certainly his coaching staff and the management team.
“The example, what he represents, and how he goes about his business every day, I think is inspiring for all of us. His work ethic is second to none. He has such a passion for the game. He just loves hockey. He loves being on the ice, loves competing, and those are the types of players that we believe you win with ,and so I think he's a great inspiration for all of us.”
In Quick’s absence, Dylan Garand played two games, posting a 1-0-1 record, 1.44 goals against average, and .954 save percentage.
The 23-year-old goaltender is someone who is bound to compete for the Rangers’ backup position next season, and his recent emergence has brought more uncertainty surrounding Quick’s future with the Rangers.
Even with Quick back in the fold, the Rangers are still keeping Garand around for now. However, Sullivan doesn't view having three goalies around as competition.
“I think Quickie and Shesty have been great mentors for Dylan Garand right now,” Sullivan emphasized. “I can see that relationship developing. The example that those two guys set for a guy like Dylan, it's great for Dylan to be around these guys... I think a guy like Dylan right now being around these guys, I think there's huge value in that, and a huge benefit in that.”
